STEPHEN Craigan found the net against Rangers – and enhanced an unwanted reputation as the own goal king of British football.

The Motherwell skipper put through his own net for the 11th time since the start of season 1997-98 as the SPL champs won 3-0 at Ibrox.

Craigan’s slip took him equal with Darren Dods on a record seven in the SPL.

He scored another double in cups, one at Partick Thistle in the SFL and also put through his own net when Northern Ireland drew 1-1 in a 2005 friendly with Portugal.

The only player who comes close to matching that tally, in the highest reaches of the British game at least, is Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne, who has scored nine own goals in the Premiership.

Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher has also put past his own keeper seven times and has scored more goals against the Reds than for them.

Yesterday Craigan was lying low but a pal said: “Stephen has played around 500 games in his career, so percentage wise it isn’t too bad – roughly one own goal every 50 games.”

He was also on the receiving end of some compassion from Stuart McCall.

The Fir Park boss said: “I didn’t even know it was being credited as an own goal until I arrived at the club in the morning – I thought it had been given to Lee Wallace.

“It’s just as well Stephen is on a goal bonus. Seriously, if he scores an average of one a season and that’s his one out of the way for this campaign then it’s fine by me.

“I do have some sympathies with the guys who play in that position as you’re always more prone to scoring own goals as a central defender.”

Craigan can console himself with the fact he is still some way off the record number of own goals scored in a single game, played in Madagascar a decade ago.

Stade Olympique L’Emryne were so infuriated with a dodgy decision that ruled them out of the title race they protested in their next match against arch-rivals AS Adema.

They put the ball through their own net at every opportunity and ended up losing 149-0, obliterating the previous high-scoring record – Arbroath’s 36-0 win over Bon Accord in 1885.

But perhaps the most impressive performance of all came in 1976 when Aston Villa defender Chris Nicholl scored four goals in a 2-2 draw against Leicester City – two at the right end and two at the wrong one.